The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol - Chapter 296

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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296

[Title: Dead after Hope Episode 3 Teaser Drops!!!!

Dead after Hope Episode 3 Teaser.avi

No, the more you go, the more capital you invest, are you crazy? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha look at the set.
I heard the Studio was grinding their teeth over this, but they really nailed it this time

Damn, this is going to work
Saying “this is going to work” got me incredibly hyped

Citizens helping each other out.gif
Min Ji-heon crying while digging through the wreckage.gif

The Dun’s best output… Min Ji-heon…
It’s been so long since he played a virtuous protagonist that he cried..
I’ve been watching Jiheon play cold, ruthless characters all the time, and finally seeing him take on such a kind role like this… it’s making me emotional.
We’re still early in the story, and the Director is famous for portraying human psychology well, so I’m not sure how the protagonist will change, but I’m definitely going to be screaming my lungs out every episode..

└The way people helped each other in that urgent situation in Episode 1 was so cool… I’m such a sucker for that kind of storytelling…
└└Don’t trust the Main PD and the Screenwriter.. They can make something touching, then 5 seconds later have those same people stabbing each other
└└For real, Director Jung and Kim Writer are psychopaths
└Min Ji-heon is a god…
└I’m serious, Min Ji-heon really is the top male actor—not just among his generation, but in the entire mainstream male acting scene]

[Title: When Seo Ho-yoon appeared in the Dead after Hope Episode 2 teaser

I was honestly so lukewarm about it because I’d seen dramas with Seo Ho-yoon before and honestly wasn’t impressed…

But what’s up with Seo Ho-yoon this time?
He was only on screen for 3 seconds in the teaser, but I’m getting butterflies

When the kids are going on about needing to find supplies (which is obvious, but honestly sounds ridiculous when you think about it), and Kim Woo-ho’s got an unlit cigarette in his mouth saying “Why me?”…
I’m so frustrated I want to pull my hair out and scream, and it feels like there’s a lump in my throat, so why is my heart still racing?

You’re not the only one thinking that—Kim Woo-ho already left 3 seconds ago lol
└I sympathize with the excitement of eating dog sweet potatoes. I don’t think it’s just a good role, haha. Didn’t we really meet water this time?? All the roles so far have felt a bit boring… but I’m looking forward to it.
└Hey guys, is your part-time job pay sweet?
Writing promotional posts over a 3-second teaser?
└└It hurts.. I’m a fan eating up 1-second scraps without even getting paid..
└└At least if it’s a part-time job you get paid, so it’s not unfair. We just write promotional posts for free]

[Title: People who don’t understand why Kim Woo-ho blew up in 3 seconds

Hey, the main guy originally had a saying that his face is his narrative

Haha, they’re calling it “3-second archery” these days.
└That legendary face with even a hint of solemnity…
└Why did he blow up like this?
└└His face..?
└└It must be his face…?
But it’s not just his face—something about his vibe has changed too, so even people who originally liked Seo Ho-yoon seem more excited and into it.
I need to think about her diction when I watch it. Who can’t make a cool trailer, lol
Well, that’s true though lol

Dead after Hope’s launch was smooth sailing.
From the moment the main teaser dropped, it became the talk of the town, and as soon as episode one aired, everyone fell head over heels for Min Ji-heon’s performance.
Comments followed: This has to be a masterpiece, the complex cast of characters was well-drawn despite the common subject matter, and so on.
Even Seo Ho-yoon, who appeared briefly in a 30-second preview video showing the next episode, garnered attention.
And after episode two finished airing, Seo Ho-yoon’s recognition skyrocketed.

[Title: What do you think about Seo Ho-yoon’s moe aesthetic

Cat vs Rabbit
Vote for your animal!>____<

└Where did rabbit even come from?;;
└└Cat obviously.. can't you tell from his face?
└└Sorry..
hahahaha the rabbit coming out of nowhere is so damn funny hahahaha
└└Yeah.. I'm sorry
Hahahahahahaha don't be so gloomy hahahahahaha

[Title: But why doesn't the main guy communicate with us

I'd heard that actors were somewhat rare, but coming here from the stone-digging days, it's a bit disappointing in that regard…

└It seems like it depends on the person
└└Yeah, it really depends
└But the main one's supposed to be a bit prickly lol
└└Haha, that's kind of nice too…]

At that moment, as if sensing what the people wanted, Seo Ho-yoon opened a live broadcast on his personal StarStar account.

"Hello."

[Oh Seo Ho-yoon's going live]
[Insane]

Having appeared in various web dramas with a modest young fanbase, and as a rising star who'd made a name for himself by winning the Newcomer Award at the Baekho Film Festival, the viewer count surged rapidly. His role as Kim Woo-ho in Episode 2 of Dead after Hope had also contributed significantly.

[What kind of coffee do you like??]

The people weren't about to let this prey reveal himself for communication go unnoticed.
As questions poured in from the rushing crowd, it would have been natural to be flustered, but Seo Ho-yoon answered with composure, as if such situations were familiar to him.

"I… like sweet things. If it's a sweet drink, I like them all."

[Lololol he likes sweet stuff, legendary cuteness…]

In truth, his number one was Sol, but having already accumulated sufficient experience as an idol knowing what the public raved over, he didn't let that fact slip from his lips.

"What do I usually do?? Just film… and memorize scripts."

With an appearance that seemed like it would give off a chilling stare and icy aura if anyone dared speak, Seo Ho-yoon was being gentle and affectionate instead, causing various SNS platforms and communities to go into overdrive.

[Pick your favorite animal: rabbit vs cat]

"Hm?"

Seo Ho-yoon's eyebrows twitched as he scanned the chat.
He seemed to ponder the question that kept appearing repeatedly, then soon opened his mouth.

"…Rabbit?"

[Please reconsider once more]
Hahahaha

"Aren't rabbits cute? Their fur is so fluffy and soft…."

[No, if I had to pick one more time]

Upon seeing the screen flooded with cat emoticons, Seo Ho-yoon let out a small exclamation of realization.

"…Cats."

At the same moment, I shifted my stance rapidly.
I had grasped what kind of answer they were looking for from me.

Hahahahahahaha dude, this is fucking hilarious
Your social skills are insanely sharp lol
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha Ho-yoon is a cat, bang bang bang!!!

[Ah, actor Seo Ho-yoon has no awkwardness… Wait.. what is this? He's calm, but somehow it feels less like an actor's vibe and more like an idol's

"Oh yeah!!!! That's right, that's so funny lol"
└└The way he dodges comments that need filtering and picks only decent questions, and whether he's practiced or something, it feels like he's done this a lot]

After rattling off various tidbits of trivia, Seo Ho-yoon placed an ice pack behind his phone, apparently because it was getting hot.

"Ah, I should be going now."

[That's shocking—Seo Ho-yoon using an ice pack? Is he really an idol?]
At this level, she's a debut Idol, ugh I'm going crazy lolololololololololol

"I'll come back often next time, Noel…"

Suddenly, my words trailed off.
I rolled my eyes for a moment, then smiled brightly at the camera.

"…Don't you think Noel will be beautiful today? Since the weather is nice, why don't you all enjoy an evening stroll and gaze up at the sky once in a while?"

Though I stumbled slightly over my words at the end, actor Seo Ho-yoon's first live broadcast came to a successful close.

[LOL Why does the family communication end with a greeting? ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅋㅋㅋ

└You can't pin this guy down…]

[Guys, what does it mean that Noel is pretty…
Like "the moon is beautiful tonight" or something like that

[Lol… Noel is pretty…]

[So cute, our kitty♡]

.
.
.

"…So you couldn't find Sung Ji-won after all?"
[Yeah.]

After ending the live broadcast, my phone rang from the Manager as I was heading toward the WH Entertainment Cafeteria.

[There was definitely a long-term trainee named Sung Ji-won at D.go, but I can't reach them at all.]
"So they never debuted in a group or anything like that?"
[Right. Nothing like that.]

I swallowed down a rising sigh.
Various theories surfaced and sank repeatedly in my mind.

[But why are you looking for them? Wait! Did you lend them money?]

I pretended not to hear the Manager's fuss and ended the call.
So the group called The Dun never existed in the first place.

'That's strange.'

I had sensed that the world seemed to have excised only the parts related to 'Seo Ho-yoon' who had been The Dun and an Idol, but I never imagined it would be a fact bordering on the physical.

"Uh."
"Wow."

Regardless, Sung Ji-won existed in this world too—someone affiliated with D.go who had been a long-term trainee.
I was turning over whether I should search further when—,

"This is insane~."
"Right?"

But it was far too loud.
I lifted my head with a frown, and—

"…!"

Joo Woo-sung was standing right in front of me.

"Ah…."

For a moment our eyes met directly, and I almost pretended to know him—but he showed no sign of remembering me either, simply passing by my side as if I didn't exist.

'…Yeah, I didn't expect anything anyway. Bastard.'

If he remembered me, he wouldn't have acted so nonchalantly. He was talented in dancing, but he possessed no grand acting ability to speak of. In this world, my connection with Joo Woo-sung never formed.
No coercion, no entanglement between us.
We're not the type to threaten or coerce each other.

Well, I had no choice but to listen then.
Then I guess I have no choice but to listen.

"Yes…."
"My goodness, your face looks terrible."
"Oh my, you look terrible."

His eyes were definitely dark, and his face gaunt. Moreover, something about his state seemed off.
Her eyes were definitely dark and sunken. Moreover, her condition seemed strange.

No, it's fine.

Yet he remained 'Black Call' all the same, seemingly still at the pinnacle of idol status.
Even so, he was still 'Black Call', and seemed to remain at the very top of the Idol world.

"Manager, I'm going to step out for a bit. I need some fresh air."

Joo Woo-sung pressed his fingertips against the bridge of his nose repeatedly, and soon even the effort of responding seemed too much—he rose to his feet.

"Y-yes!! Let me grab you something to drink."
"Okay…."

He made his way toward the terrace on one of the upper floors of the WH Entertainment Building.

Don't think about it.
There are plenty of people around him anyway. He'll manage just fine on his own.
My mind calculated it that way, but my body was already following Black Call's Manager. As I pressed closer behind him into the cafeteria, I heard him exhale deeply, sighing.

"No, things have been quiet lately. He doesn't seem to be seeing anyone."
"…."

I pretended to browse the menu while perking up my ears.

"Yes, yes… it's just been sparse. He's not showing up to practice like he used to. And it seems like he barely talks to the other members except for Chae Jung-woo… Yes, of course. I'll be thorough with his mental management."

He seemed to be reporting to his superiors over the phone.
Whether he was newly hired or not, his enthusiasm was overflowing, and his inexperience was leaking through just as much.

I can't do this. Don't let it get to you.
Just order something sweet and calorie-laden, then leave.
The moment I resolved to do so,

"Oh, wait a moment. I'll just place an order. …Do you know what Joo Woo-sung likes? Ah… yes. Then I'll grab him an Americano. Two cups of Americano with three shots. He looked pretty tired."
"…."

I quickly changed my order.

"…A green tea latte, please."

The Manager continued speaking beside me, but my gaze drifted toward the terrace where Joo Woo-sung would be.

"Ah… it just seemed like he's been worrying about a lot of things lately."
"…."

Something in my chest felt a bit….

"It seems like being an idol was never really their path from the start…."
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
"Huh? Yes?"

Was this some morning drama?
Like a frustrated viewer throwing in their two cents while watching, I found myself meddling without thinking.

"Um, excuse me. Are you talking to me right now?"

Even standing among countless crowds, he shines alone.
Born with natural talent, and on top of that, a hard worker.
Joo Woo-sung is the idol that idols admire.
Sure, he can be arrogant sometimes, but even that makes sense when you consider his abilities.
But this guy? What? Saying being an idol doesn't suit him?

"…No, that's not it."

The other person looked flustered, clearly at a loss for words.
I picked up one of the freshly made Americanos.

"Here, I'll take the Americano. You take the green tea latte instead."
"…Huh??"

He wouldn't drink an Americano even if you paid him.
After taking a sip and scrunching up my face in displeasure, I pulled my cap down firmly and added one more thing. I really needed to wake up Unknown Actor Tycoon soon, I thought.
Though I hated to admit it.

"He likes this better."

The arrogant and irritating version of Joo Woo-sung was actually more pleasant to see.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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